WARNING: Darkness leaps from these pages because there’s always someone out there wanting to right a wrong … Gardens.
Not for the money. For fun. For the adrenaline hit.
They take pride in targeting marks—always searching for one who will present a challenge. On the night that changes everything, they go for an obvious American. Surprise. The American and another thug snatch the boys off the main Tivoli arcade and shove them into a waiting limo.
The kidnappers want justice.
Not for the murder. For the suicide of Michael’s ice-princess mother.
When he protests his innocence, his captors retaliate brutally. For some reason Michael can’t grasp, they have placed her on a pedestal. The woman—biologically his mother—neglected him from birth. Yet these men speak of her with near reverence. Michael quickly learns survival depends on saying nothing about his reasons for hating his entire family.
Abandoned in a godforsaken Finnish forest, definitely worse for wear from slaps and kicks and lack of food and sleep, the boys search for shelter under the Midnight Sun’s unrelenting heat. When they stumble on a beautiful, well-stocked cabin, they celebrate prematurely.
There’s no can opener for all the tinned meats, fruits, and vegetables. Nor is there a paddle for the canoe at the lake’s edge. No maps mean no path back to civilization.
Then the scariest kidnapper shows up with a gun.
What kind of game are these predators playing?
Is there any hope Michael’s millionaire father will pay a ransom?
What if … he’s behind the abduction?
Fast-paced with twists and surprises, this story proves psychopaths think of revenge as justice.
***
Read all of the books in The MisFit series:
The Early Years
The Lost Days
The In-Between Years
The Reckless Year
The Dispensable Wife
The Broken-Hearted Many
The Whole Truth
more
The Early Years #1 – My first book by this author and it’s a kick. Michael makes Brooke Shield’s and Bettye Davis’ look like normal, bible study children. The story is well written but with some vulgar language and deviant sex scenes. The story moves at a fast pace and the reader is intrigued with what unfolds. I wouldn’t want to read more books like this, but I will finish the five books of this series. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed. 4*
The Lost Days #2 – The pain and gain and loss that come from the actions performed in The Early Years come to head in this book. Michael for all his intelligence is still a little boy that didn’t cover all the bases in his plans. His mother wasn’t at her best, either. The story is well written and intriguing. The characters continue to grow and the plot twists with surprises not expected. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed. 4*
The In-Between Years #3 – Another interesting and intriguing story. The characters are steady growing and still with interesting dialog. The plot manages to keep the reader interested until the last page. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed. 4*
The Reckless Year #4 – The intrigue and interest still abounds in this story. The reader has to wonder about Michael’s love interest, but it’s not his IQ that’s running the show here. The characters continue to develop; their dialog is realistic; and the plot while not the best of the books, is keeps the reader involved in the story. Interesting prologue. Editing needed. 4*
The Dispensable Wife #5 – I had a few days between the first four books and this one. I didn’t care to much for the beginning of the book, several chapters of wasted words and repetition. The reader is now seeing his and her sides of the story and it takes a while for the book to become interesting. I didn’t care for the last two or three chapters; I didn’t find them interesting or flowing. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed.
Update for The Dispensable Wife #5: As of February, 2018, I’ve had the chance to proof Broken-Hearted Many #6. While I was disappointed originally with Wife, because it changed the main characters from the first four books, I found Wife and Many were about the wife and children and their future without Michael and the secrets they carry inside themselves. So I’m changing my previous review to acknowledge that Wife is better with the addition of reading Many. I still think a better transition in Wife would not have been as shocking/distracting/confusing/pick your word to find Michael and Dimitri tossed in the background. They were the reason I was reading the series. Wife and Many fit together as #1 – #4 fit together; I just had to get used to Michael as a minor character in these books. I found Wife on AXP and volunteered to review it, since I already owned the other four books. Since then I’ve purchased Wife. 4*
Broken-Hearted Many #6 – This book puts The Dispensable Wife into a different light. It begins two years after the death of Michael. The family has begun a new life and have to work on the problems and effects from the past. Well written, dark but intriguing, this book holds the reader’s attention. It makes up for the disappointment of Wife, while actually enhancing Wife. The reader just needs to ignore the way this “offshoot” of the series began. The characters have developed somewhat and their dialog is realistic. There’s hope, even among the despair faced by the family. New friends appear, as well as old enemies, as the well thought out plot immerses the reader in the pages. This book was difficult to put down. 5*
The Whole Truth #7 – Dark ride ahead! The final book of the Misfit Series and boy, is it filled with all kinds of happenings, twists and turns. The ending is painful with the sacrifice one of the main characters made to save another and a good decision was made in the end, too. The characters are still interesting and the author’s vivid descriptions leaves no doubt about their thoughts, actions and fears. There are secrets that will surprise some readers, but also some humor, and peace is found along with a touch of a spiritual being. It was hard to put the book down and it was worth reading. I’ve enjoyed all seven books, even though I had a little problem with book #5 until I read #6. 5*
The Boy Nobody Loved – The prequel, which I read after I read the first five books of the Misfit series. It’s a good choice to read first since it lays the foundation of Michael’s beginning years and what he lived through. The story is well written and intriguing. The characters are developing and their dialog is realistic.
Survival of the Misfits. What brings a person to kill? Jealousy? Hope for a better life or situation? Survival?
Two young friends, Dmitri and Michael, have long been friends, and blood brothers. Both have robbed and killed for accident, revenge, or gain – and sometimes just for entertainment. They are dark characters who survive some pretty serious thugs.
They nearly end each other, more than once.
In the end, Michael’s wealthy father , an apparent criminal entrepreneur of some kind, finally gives both boys the attention Michael so wanted, even killed for.
These sociopathic boys seem to be at the beginnings of what could be successful, lethal, careers.
Can’t wait to see what drama unfolds next!